President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate George L. Argyros to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Spain and Andorra.

"George Argyros is a leader in his community who has been active in numerous civic, cultural, and philanthropic organizations. His experience in trade policy and foreign affairs, as well as his interest in education and the arts, will make him an excellent Ambassador to Spain and Andorra," said the President.

Mr. Argyros was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to hold a seat on the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations where he served until 1990, when he was named to the Board of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation by former President Bush. He is currently the Chairman and CEO of Arnel and Affiliates in Costa Mesa, California. He is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Chapman University and serves on the Board of Trustees at California Institute of Technology. He is the Director of the Orange County Council of the Boy Scouts of America and served as the Chairman of the Orange County Business Committee for the Arts from 1993 to 1997. He is the Chairman of the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation, is Founding Chairman of The Nixon Center in Washington, D.C., and is a Councilor for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He has received numerous awards for his civic and philanthropic activity and was twice inducted into Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. He is a graduate of Chapman University.